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App makes it easier to report vessel entry in Michigan

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has added Michigan to the list of locations where boaters are able to use its ROAM (Reporting Offsite Arrival – Mobile) app as an alternative to calling in small vessel entry reports. The app offers shorter wait times, remote inspections using video chat and a streamlined reporting process with reusable profiles, according the CBP.

To use the ROAM app, boaters input their biographic, conveyance and trip details, then submit their trip for review by a CBP officer. The CBP officer may initiate a video chat. Once the CBP officer reviews the trip, boaters will receive a push notification and an email with their admissibility decision and next steps, if applicable.

Those enrolled in the Local Boater Option (LBO) registered traveler program and other Trusted Traveler programs such as Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI, can save their traveler number in their profiles to save time when returning to the U.S.

The ROAM app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. In certain locations, the ROAM app can also be accessed on tablets.

The ROAM application is limited in Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie; from Alpena to Houghton, Michigan. Boaters with questions about reporting their U.S. arrival to CBP should contact their local port of entry: Detroit area, 313-393-3949; Port Huron area 810-985-9972; and Sault Ste. Marie, 906-632-7221.